Actions have consequences and few people know this as well as Tony Stark, the Marvel hero known as Iron Man. Over the years, both he and his company have sometimes had a hand in creating powerful enemies.

One of the themes that's certainly relevant in "Iron Man 2," which debuted this weekend, is that some villains owe their careers to ol’ Shellhead and his armor. Here are some of the major baddies whose villainous paths originate with Iron Man — making them prime source material for this weekend's film and future chapters of the Marvel movie universe.

Oh, and before anyone complains, Obadiah Stane (a.k.a. Iron Monger) isn't on the list because he was an active villain long before he donned his own suit of armor. Read More...

Tony Stark has been described as the “cool exec with a heart of steel,” and this has been especially true more than once in his life. As audiences will see in "Iron Man 2" this weekend, the Armored Avenger leads a life where unique health problems can (and do) often arise.

For those of you interested in this has played out in the comics, here’s a complete guide to Tony Stark’s medical history and the modifications he’s done to his body over the years.

CHEST-PLATE HEART-AID

As movie fans know, the events that led to him becoming Iron Man also involved Tony Stark getting a lot of shrapnel in his chest. Tony was forced to wear the chest-plate of his Iron Man armor at all times, using its magnetic fields to keep near-microscropic metal shards from piercing his heart.

Tony had to constantly recharge his chest plate, and if his armor or power cells were damaged in a battle as Iron Man, he faced possible death within moments. Read More...

Tony Stark has lots of enemies — not only because he’s a wealthy, international industrialist, but also because he’s the armored Avenger known as Iron Man. He’s clashed with amoral businessman Justin Hammer, espionage experts like The Ghost and Spymaster, and even the warlord known as The Mandarin.

But not every villain that’s attacked ol’ Shellhead has been all that threatening. With that in mind, the arrival of "Iron Man 2" in theaters this week had us thinking about some of Iron Man’s lamest enemies.

Here are five enemies we're pretty sure won't be facing off against Tony Stark's armored alter ego on the big screen any time soon. Read More...

EDITOR'S NOTE: The following guest column was provided by comic book historian Alan Kistler, who never ceases to amaze us with his knowledge of all things comics. In order to determine the victor in in his "Last Man Standing" scenario, he painstakingly compared each combatant's powers, how they would interact with other combatants' powers, and each character's equipment, history and tendencies. Basically, he spent a lot more time thinking about this than you will spend reading it — so we hope you enjoy it!

The drinks have been served. The music is on. But this St. Patrick’s Day is different. This day, we find out which Irish superhero (or superhero of Irish heritage) will be the last man standing!

Molly Fitzgerald (a.k.a. Shamrock) steps into the battlefield. Born in Dunshaughlin, Molly is able to call on the spirits of innocent people who died in war and terrorist attacks. With their help, she is able to alter probability in her favor and cause bad luck for her enemies. As soon as she arrives, Shamrock is attacked by Daredevil (a.k.a. Matt Murdock), the Irish-Catholic vigilante of Hell’s Kitchen who's blind but compensates with the rest of his superhuman senses. Read More...

Even years after his death, we're still talking about the King of Rock 'n' Roll and his influence across the world. And he's had quite a unique influence on comic books in particular (and not just in those biographical comics, folks). Here's a list of stories made magical thanks to a certain singer with blue-suede shoes.

ELVINGELICANS
Marvel used to have various comics under the 2099 label, exploring what the Marvel Universe would look like in the late 21st century. We learned that corporations ruled the U.S., modern superheroes were considered myths, and Thor had inspired the "Thorite" religion. Then, in "Fantastic Four 2099" #2, we met another religious group, the Elvineglicans, people who worshipped the King and patiently awaited the day he would return to rock again.

Many folks knew G.I. Joe from the toys and the cartoon. The cartoon series was fun, but let's face it — it was also pretty cheesy. After all, how do you take a series about counter-terrorists seriously when no one ever gets hurt and the guns only shoot little beams of light that always seem to miss?

The "G.I. Joe" comics, on the other hand, have always been a horse of a different color, delving into darker themes and with a more serious tone of military life and espionage. And they’ve been around longer than you may think.

From 1982 to 1994, Marvel Comics’ “G.I. Joe” series chronicled the adventures of an elite group of American soldiers and combatants as they fought against terrorist organizations such as the sinister Cobra organization. With nearly every issue written by Larry Hama (longtime writer of “Wolverine”), the comic hosted an ensemble cast of heroes and villains with stories that ran from political allegory to high-stakes sci-fi adventure.

In honor of today's premiere of "G.I. Joe: The Rise of Cobra," here are some of our favorite stories from the original "G.I. Joe" comic book series.

"G.I. JOE" #4: “Operation: Wingfield!” — G.I. Joe soldiers Snake-Eyes, Hawk and Grunt are sent to infiltrate Cobra’s new First Strike task force. To their shock, they learn that Cobra has gotten ahold of two nuclear bombs and First Strike intends to use them to start a war between Russia and the USA. What follows is tense and desperate action as the Joes try to prevent World War III.

This story is also significant due to a scene in which the mute Snake Eyes writes down his thoughts, giving us a rare glimpse into his mind. Read More...

It’s the Fourth of July weekend in the U.S., and that means parties, barbeques and general celebrations of national pride. With that in mind, it seems fitting to think of those heroes who not only serve their country but also use patriotic outfits and monikers. So, here’s a list of some great U.S.-themed super-heroes.

UNCLE SAM: In the DC Comics Universe, a spiritual avatar of the United States was brought into being through an occult ritual. As the years passed, this spirit would alter its form and identity based on the era. During the Revolutionary War, he called himself the Minute-Man. During the Civil War, he split into twin entities known as Johnny Reb and Billy Yank. In 1870, he was reborn as Uncle Sam, his most powerful form.

Since his mystical abilities ebb and flow based on how much faith Americans have in their country and themselves, Uncle Sam learned the value of having allies and so, during WW II, he formed a team of superheroes called the Freedom Fighters and led them in battle against several Nazi menaces. In the modern-day, he was forced to fight a dark twin who was concerned with money rather than people and later became leader of a new version of the Freedom Fighters. Read More...

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Cover Artist

Splash Page welcomes Ed Tadem to our cover artist family (our custom-designed theme up top). Currently working on the forthcoming "Avengers" animated series, Tadem's work can also be seen in the "Jackie Karma" issues of Image's "'76," and in "Pop Gun, Volume 1." Ed Tadem can be found online at EdTadem.com.